Camptown take K&S football title
By Isaiah Chappelle
Guyana Chronicle
January 3, 2004
NIGEL Codrington sparkled when it mattered most, hitting the fastest goal to give Camptown their second title in the Christmas Football Festival at the Mackenzie Sports Club, Linden, on New Year’s Day, and nearly $1 million.
Camptown also became the first city club to win more than one title in the now nationally acclaimed championships, as they turned the tables on Topp XX, needling them 1-0 in the final, to reverse the 2000 results.
In the third place play-off, Western Tigers who played under the Kashif & Shanghai (K&S) All Stars banner, beat newcomers Silver Shattas 4-3 from the penalty spot after the match was deadlocked 3-3, at regulation and extra time.
Camptown who won the 1993 title, also pocketed the $600 000 first prize, received another $140 000 for scoring the first goal in the final and an impromptu $200 000 for winning the championship, making their $940 000 haul the richest in the history of the annual championship.
Topp XX received the $250 000 second prize, Western Tigers the $150 000 third and Silver Shattas the $100 000 fourth prize.
The new champions also carted off several of the individual prizes with captain Troy Prescod receiving the tournament’s Most Valuable Player prize, along with the Best Midfielder trophy. National Under-23 player Orlando Jilgeous of Camptown was the Best Defender.
Codrington hit the fastest goal in just 40 seconds of play for which he received an impromptu $5 000 and shared the Most Goals prize with teammate Elton Brown, Dwight Peters of BV/Triumph and Carey Harris of Topp XX. He was also voted the MVP of final.
Clement Brown of Uitvlugt All Stars scored the Most Spectacular Goal; Western Tigers’ Shawn Beveney got the Best Play prize for his amazing run with ball through the field in the semifinals; Topp XX’s Richard Reynolds was the Best Goalkeeper; Javin Crawford of Topp XX was the Most Outstanding Junior and Shattas’ Leon Clement was the MVP of the third place play-off.
Kanaku Invaders of the Rupununi was the Most Improved Team and also got the Fair Play prize, while Beacon won the Best Dressed prize.
Camptown were adjudged as both Best Defensive and Best Offensive team, reflecting a truly all-round performance.
Coach Desmond Alfred told Chronicle Sport: “The title was well due. We had the advantage as a unit. We really wanted to win. We trained hard. It took a long time to win. We want to be a number one team and through the Kashif & Shanghai tournament was the way to do it.”
In the 2000 final, Codrington had put in the first goal in the 68th minute after Reynolds had fumbled while taking the ball from a right corner kick.
This time, the striker seemed oblivious of the once again soggy conditions. Just after the kick off, Codrington raced along the left wing, cleverly evading the defence, reached close to the goal line just outside the box, shot and beat Reynolds close to the near post to rock the western net, all in 40 seconds of play.
Back in 2000, Charlie Rose had produced the equaliser but this time, he played for newcomers Silver Shattas. Topp XX had two guest players - Neil Hernandez and Anthony Abrams, who were treated like real guests; they had nothing to do as the ball hardly went to them.
Captain Collie Hercules was well fed in the striking line but could not produce the equaliser, the few good build-ups coming when Hernandez eventually got the ball.
Camptown were in the net again in the 15th minute, but the assistant referee waved his flag for an offside and referee John Callender disallowed the goal.
A minute later, the busy Codrington broke away on the right, goalkeeper Reynolds deflected the ball, but Gregory Richardson failed to finish, shooting straight to the goalkeeper from five metres. Shortly after, they attacked down the right wing again, and the ball zoomed to goal from 30 metres out and Reynolds knocked the ball out for a corner.
Reynolds was kept busy, when in the 35th minute, Codrington evaded two defenders who in the wake of the dribble clashed with each other, and raced down the right wing, crossed, and Jilgeous shot. Reynolds denied them the goal with a super save.
In the second half, the heavy conditions began taking toll on both teams with play noticeably slowing down. Camptown played more possession ball as Topp XX struggled to put together any good build-up.
Earlier, Eddy Gomes, Eron Hayde and Rayon Thomas scored for Westen Tigers and Shevon Seaforth, Nigel Price and Leon Clement for Silver Shattas.
Tigers were in the net in 22 minutes of play through Gomes and they led 1-0 at halftime. They went 2-0 up, two minutes after the resumption when Hayde found the net.
But a minute later, Seaforth pulled one back for Shattas and Price produced the equaliser in the 55th minute.
Thomas gave back the advantage to the Tigers in the 62nd minute, but Clement levelled the game, two minutes later. Extra time did not produce a winner, then the Tigers prevailed 4-3 from the penalty spot.